Installations using JFS or XFS filesystems for the root/boot partition are not seen by Grub2. Please use Ext4 or BTRFS for / or /boot.

If you need advanced language/keyboard switching, please install either ibus or fcitx manually post-installation. You may also add the Keyboard Layout Handler plugin to the system tray (LXPanel) to handle keyboard layout switching.

If testing this in a VM, the ISO will not prompt to remove the media on shutdown unless you use the Text (debug) boot option (in which case, you just need to power off the VM).

Instructions for creating live media

The 64 bit version supports booting and installing on EFI systems with or without Secure Boot enabled. It of course works on conventional MBR/BIOS systems.

Linux

Plug USB stick into PC

Open a terminal

Type this command to determine your USB device ID:

sudo lsblk -l
<type your password>

Type these commands to format and transfer the ISO to USB which will create an MBR and EFI compatible bootable device (replace sdX with your device ID):

When the Live media first boots, run the “Check disk for defects” boot option. It should complete error free.

Try the Text (Debug) boot.

Try a different brand of USB stick or DVD, a different port, or a different writing method.

Installing to Hard Disk

Please note, if you require an encrypted installation, please disable swap before launching the installer by running this command from a terminal (Crtl+Alt+T):

sudo swapoff -a

Open the Installer from the icon on the dock

Select your language (note: not all aspects of Chromixium are translated)

If you already have an OS installed on the disk, there will be options to:

“Erase and (re)install” – wipes entire drive and installs Chromixium. You will have the option to encrypt your installation and/or choose LVM partitioning if you choose this option.

“Install alongside” – this will give you the option to shrink an existing Windows or Linux installation and install Chromixium into the space created.

“Something Else” – opens a manual partitioning screen. Useful if you have already partitioned your device or freed up space using Windows disk management. Select an empty area or partition to format and install Chromixium onto. You will need at the very least a root ( / ) partition. A swap partition of twice your RAM or 4GB should be created to allow for hibernation.

You will get the chance to review and accept or reject any partition changes, but once accepted the changes will be written to disk immediately.

Select your Keyboard layout

Choose a username, hostname (computer name) and password. Select autologin and/or encrypted home area. If you select autologin you will be required to log in once after the installation to authenticate your credentials, then subsequent logins will happen automatically.

Using Chromixium

Right-click anywhere on the desktop to access the Applications menu and control panel. This provides access to the underlying Ubuntu Linux operating system, locally installed applications and system settings.

Sign in to Chromium for the best experience (requires a Google account)

Click on the magnifying glass icon to open Chrome Apps and the Chrome Web Store

Click on the network icon in the system tray to connect to a WiFi network

Right-click on the battery/power indicator for power/screensaver/brightness options

Right-click on the Penguin icon to access shutdown/sleep/hibernate settings and to change your avatar

Install local applications using the Add, Remove and Update Software application (Synaptic) from the Control Panel or the Ubuntu Apps Directory

Hardware Support

Chromixium ships with the long term supported 3.13 kernel

If you need the additional hardware support provided by newer kernels, eg on a Chromebook, just install with:

If your hardware is not detected, go to Control Panel – Software and Drivers – Additional Drivers tab and if any proprietary drivers are available, they will be listed (requires Internet connection) eg Broadcom Wifi, Nvidia and Radeon graphics.

For a completely updated xorg graphics stack, update to the latest Hardware Enablement Stack (HWE) using this command from a terminal:

Language Support

Chromixium is an English (UK) based project. The Live ISO is configured to US American English language. When you launch the installer you can select your native language and keyboard layout. For best results please ensure that you are connected to the Internet and select “Install Updates”. A number of language packs and locales are pre-installed for French, German, Russian and Spanish languages, incorporating a range of locales which should allow for offline installation.

If you choose a language other than English, then only parts of the operating system will be translated – the log in screen, some application launchers, most Gnome applications and most importantly, the Chromium web browser, so you will be able to surf in your native language. As Chromixium includes a number of bespoke scripts, then unfortunately a number of interfaces are not translated eg the Openbox menu.

If your language and locale settings haven’t been detected properly by the installer, or if you want to add additional languages, then you can do this post-install using the Control Panel and the Language Support application. You will need an Internet connection to install additional languages. For dual-language support, you can add a keyboard layout switcher to the system tray by right-clicking and selecting Add/Remove Panel Items and then adding the Keyboard Layout Handler plugin. For more input-method switching you can install ibus or fcitx from the repositories.

As the project matures, it may be possible to translate more aspects of the distribution. I have already had some kind offers to help with translations. If anyone would like to help with translations in the future, please make yourself known on the forum.